Governor OKs higher minimum wage

Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law Wednesday a measure raising California's minimum wage from $8 an hour to $9 an hour next July and to $10 an hour in January 2016.

The boost, which affects more than 2.4 million full-time and part-time workers, is the first in six years.

At a signing ceremony in Los Angeles, Brown said the raise will help close the gap between “workers at the bottom and those who occupy the commanding heights of the economy.”

Inflation-adjusted wages for the bottom fifth of California workers dropped by almost 6 percent from 2006 to 2012, according to the California Budget Project. High earners have recovered pay levels since the recession.

Anti-poverty organizations, religious groups and labor unions supported the wage increase, saying it would help struggling families and boost the economy with more local spending. The California Chamber of Commerce and the California Restaurant Association opposed it, saying businesses would lay off workers and delay hiring.

Orange County legislators split along party lines; four Democrats voted in favor and eight Republicans opposed the raise.

California is the first state to set a minimum wage at $10 an hour, surpassing Washington state, which has the nation's highest at $9.19.

Maryland, Massachusetts, Illinois and Minnesota are considering raising theirs to close to $10. President Barack Obama has asked Congress to raise the federal minimum of $7.25 to $9.

The minimum wage historically has been aimed at young, entry-level workers; however more than 60 percent of California's minimum wage workers are over 26 years old. Since the recession, many older workers have taken low-wage jobs.